A Final Farewell
by Silver Sniper
Summary: I cry as I read her diary. She was gone... Gone without a goodbye.' TenTen's gone, and Neji finds her diary a day after, and after nearly ten years, he's finally realized something so obvious he's missed before... NejiXTenTen
1. Leaving

**Disclaimer: I do not have Naruto in my arsenal of 'own'!!!**

_Dear Diary,_

_ I just don't know what to say… Today was horrible…_

_ You see, today's the day I move out of Konoha, my parents wanted a less bustling village, and more of a peaceful countryside one instead, the one I was born in. It tears me to leave, but what does it matter anyways? They don't really care anyhow… _

_ When I turned up for my last training session today, my heart sank to tell them I was going away forever, but they didn't even take notice to me. Lee was already there, practicing his moves, ignoring me as he tried to perfect his techniques, Gai-Sensei was helping him, and Neji, as always, just looked at me with those eyes of his and would just simply scoff at my presence. It hurts everyday when he does that, even though you'd think I'd get use to it. I never did, and I never would. Next time we meet, who knows when it'll be. _

_ He wasn't like that. I bumped into him when I was three. He was kind back then, offering me a hand and an apology after he had accidentally knocked me down. That was my first day in Konoha, that's why I never forgot that day. And after all these years, when I finally bump into him again, he's a cold arrogant jerk who thinks nothing of others, secluded in his drowning miseries. I dearly pity him. But yet at the same time, I wonder. What if he had still been the person he was so many years back? I think we would have become better friends._

_ I was stubborn, so I left without telling anyone. They'll know I'm gone eventually, but now it's really painful. Now I wish I had told them. But it's too late; we're due to leave in ten minutes._

_ Maybe I'll see both of them again. Lee's smiling face, and Neji's caring ways, even though he never shows it. But I know it's in there somewhere… No matter what, those two are still my friends, forever. I know Lee likde me back, and respect me as a fellow ninja. And Neji, even though he'd never admit it, I think he thinks the same. _

_ My last page… I guess this is goodbye… Goodbye, Konoha, Gai-Sensei, Lee… Goodbye… Hyuuga, Neji…_

Neji looked down at TenTen's diary, which she had purposely left on the front porch, underneath one of the loose floorboards that only she, Lee, and him knew about. His eyes were shocked to find what she wrote in it. She was gone… Gone without a goodbye… And he… Had he really been so mean her?

It was a day after TenTen had gone, suggested by the date that was hastily crossed off. There was no point in trying to find her now. He had no idea where she was born, and they didn't leave a not on the door either. All he could do was stare at the full moon that shed its pale beams onto earth, hoping she was doing the same.

"If the beginning of hello is goodbye, and the end of goodbye is hello, then I bid you, one last farewell…I'm sorry… I love you TenTen…" A single tear found it's way down his check, but a smiled loomed on his lips as he turned over the last lined page, into an end page, and on it wrote:

"I love you Neji…Don't you _ever_ dare forget me…"


	2. Optimism

**Disclaimer: I do not have Naruto in my arsenal of 'own'!**

This is just like what happened with my Yu Yu Hakusho (don't own) one… Guess there's no point to argue, eh? (Curse me) I'll try my best, forgive me if I don't suite your flavor. Mine's sour. (Awww… you know what I mean… Sour, spite, backstabbing… Ignore me.) I'm going to like this. (Be afraid now)

Neji sighed yet again as he finished TenTen's diary for the who knows how many times. It had been ten years now, and still he remembers the shock that night when he found out that she had moved. It still stung. It stung ever so hard, but he worked over it some how. Still, everyday, he would read that last entry, and pretty soon, he had memorized it, but he still read it.

He and Lee would still keep in touch, but mainly Lee was too busy with his life to really pay any attention to Neji's, but he sometimes did, and even though Neji _still_ won't show it, he appreciated it very much.

Him, Neji was still there, all by himself, though now free of the horrible Hyuuga legacy. Since his horrid uncle Hiashi had died the past summer, Hinata had given up the role of the successor to the Hyuuga clan, and unfortunately, Hinabi (spelling???) had died in that mission along with her father. And still, even though you'd think Neji would now be the head, he wasn't, until the Sixth Hokage, Haruno Sakura, yes, _that_ Sakura, ordered it be done. But Neji had denied, preferring to just live on his own near the outskirts of Konoha.

It was a simple life. In the morning, he would get up at five change, brush his teeth and wash his face, and pay a daily visit to TenTen's house, just hoping she was back. But everyday, his heart shattered when there was no sign of her presence. After that, he would come home and eat breakfast, train until noon, eat lunch, and then go into the heart of Konoha to see the Hokage if their were any worth-while missions that could keep his mind off of his miseries. Then he'd return home, eat a simple dinner, read that entry yet again, and go to sleep. Everyday, (except on missions) all the time, never changing… Always hoping…. Never winning… It was so simple, yet so strenuous.

Today, he was he was at the Hokage's again, seeing if anything new came in. He had been off for quite awhile now, and he was itching to throw some kunais. He remembered those words of her. After all these years…

"Anything new in today, Sakura?" He taunted her. Old habits die-hard. He just couldn't resist something like that.

"What did I tell you about calling me that?!" She screeched at him. She wasn't in a good mood today, that was for sure. Usually she'd just tell him of with a hard punch on the forehead, but today was different. "IT'S HOKAGE-SAMA, NEJI YOU IDIOT!!!" And with that said, she harshly slapped him across him face, enough force to send him staggering back. Gee, just what he needed, _another_ person who slaps him for everything he says out of their willingness, just like TenTen did so many years back. Then Sakura gasped, realizing what she had done. Once upon a past time, if she _ever_ dared to do that, oh boy, would she be in trouble. "Oh! I'm so sorry, I didn't really mean that!!!" She whimpered.

Neji spat some speckles of blood out of his mouth. "No, it's fine, I shouldn't have been taunting you, _Hokage-Sama_." He said with every drop of sarcasm he could leak out. Fortunately for him, Sakura paid no heed. "So, anything new?"

Sakura, A.K.A. Hokage, snorted at this comment. "Well, besides the fact that I'll be visiting Kazekage in a week, the tourist population has gone way down, well… Oh yeah, I'm holding a reunion for all us twelve. You know, when we were Genins?" She announced, straitening her hat. "Maybe Sasuke-Kun would ask me out on a date…" She said, hearts exploding in her eyes. After all these years, She and Ino were _still_ chasing him. Neji looked at her as if she was an idiot, but Sakura still paid no heed. "Then we'd sneak out and go to the most fancy restaurant in town, and then we'd sit out in the woods and look at the stars, and then… Then maybe he'll k-" Neji cut her off right then.

"Well, I'll be going, bye!" He said hastily and exited.

"Hey! I'm not done with you yet!!! ACK!!! Be back here in one week at seven o' clock!!!" Sakura hollered after him. Neji barely caught on. "AND TELL THE OTHERS IF YOU HAVE A CHANCE!!! BECAUSE _EVERYONE _HAS TO BE THERE, OR ELSE THEY'RE GOING TO PAY!!!!"

Neji ran as fast as he could now, avoiding people as he rushed through the busy streets of Konoha. But once he was in a less populated area, he slowed down.

Did she say everyone, everyone meaning TenTen? He really wished it were so. He hadn't seen her for years, and he was dying to see her again. He still remembered those last words of hers:

"Heh. You think you're so cool, Hyuuga Neji. What? No scoff this time?"

Those were the thoughts that filled his mind as he absentmindedly took the wrong path, and he was soon at TenTen's house once again. Only there was someone there already.

"Hey, long time no see Neji. What? No scoff this time?"


	3. Versatile

**Disclaimer: I do not have Naruto in my arsenal of 'own'!**

'Sakura's Hokage?!' That's all I've been getting. Just read, you'll find out sooner or later why. And is this a SakuraXSasuke fic? Well, let's just say I don't really like either of them, so… You tell me…

* * *

"What? No scoff this time." Neji did scoff then. His spirits must have jump fifty stories when he first saw her, but now… Well…

"Cheap, Naruto… Really cheap…" He snorted as the genjustsu unraveled itself, revealing none other than the blonde boy who had defeated him so long ago.

"Darn! It worked on Lee when I turned into Sakura and said I loved him! Though he probably realizes by now…" He muttered. "Oh, wait, it doesn't sound like what it means!" He added quickly when Neji gave him a 'Okay…' look.

"At some times, you're even more perverted then Kakashi and Jiraiya. (spelling???)" Neji answered. _Heh. To think I thought it was actually her… _"What are you doing back? I thought you were going 'wander the four corners of the Earth'."

"I did, but there wasn't any Ramen in most parts! It literally killed me at first, until I discovered…" He trailed of then as his eyes went dazed. Neji could tell by looking at it that he was thinking about whatever it was that he liked. How typical of Naruto. Tch.

"Anyways, I'm back to claim the title of Hokage!!! Hahaha!!!!" He announced triumphantly, completely oblivious to the events that have occurred when he was traveling.

"Hate to break your bubble, but they gave up waiting for you two months ago. Sakura's now Hokage, but I'm sure she'll let you have the title." Neji told him sarcastically.

"Sakura?! Hokage?! Is that _possible_?!" Naruto stammered. "Sorry Neji, nice chatting with you, got to convince then to hand over the title to yours truly. Have a nice life. Bye Neji!" And with that he dashed off, Neji's hand was still shaking an invisible one that was Naruto's a moment ago.

"Okay…" Neji said slowly as he proceeded home.

--

"Give up _my_ title?! It's like asking me to marry you!!!" Sakura, A.K.A. Hokage screamed at Naruto once he 'demanded that she forfeit the title so the village would not crumble under such a weak and… weak girl'.

"Will you?!" Naruto asked hopefully, all too hopefully.

"Uh, Naruto…" She told him. Even though she didn't answer the question, he already knew the answer all too well.

"Oh well, I knew that." Naruto answered a bit discouraged. "Anyways, I still demand back the title of Hokage!"

"Yeah? You think Hokage's all fun and games and just relaxing? How will you deal with the paperwork? The people constantly coming in for missions, no, I should say Neji really, but anyways… How will you deal with the complaints? The budgets real tight, so the taxes must be raised, but how will the people deal with that? You have to negotiate with the other countries for peace, keep out of war. How will you do all that, Naruto? It's not as easy as it looks!!!" Sakura scolded him. Naruto thought about it for a long time.

"Well, that's why I'm taking the duty off of you!!!" Naruto explained happily.

"…You don't get it, do you?" Sakura softly grumbled.

--

"H-Hey!!! Neji, I was looking all over for you!!!!!" Lee hollered as he skittered to a stop behind him. Neji was just heading home. By the looks of it, it seems he had rocketed over there. Whatever it was, to put Lee in a state such as this, it must be important.

"Lee, what are you doing here?" Neji inquired, trying to stay calm. He always had a way of knowing whether this kind of excitement was a good excitement, or a bad one. It was a bad one.

"I-Important n-news!!!" He managed to squeeze out. Apparently he couldn't squeeze out anymore as Lee motioned him to lend an ear. After a series of whispering and short breaths, Neji finally understood.

"…You've got to kidding me."

--

"Okay, tell me it again, because I'm thinking my ears deceive me." Neji asked Lee. They were in his kitchen, Lee gobbling down a glass of water.

"No, Naruto's come back-" Neji cut him off there.

"I already know that part, the other part."

"Oh. The Hokage's throwing a p-" Neji already knew that too.

"I already know that too." Neji said. _Get to the important part!!!_

"Okay then. The Hokage also found a new mission for you, say you must do it immediately." Lee said as he handed Neji a scroll.

"Why didn't she ask me personally?" Neji requested as he opened up the scroll and started to scan its contense. "I mean, I was just there today."

"She said it just came in."

"Then how could she have had it just came in if she's suppose to be busy yelling at Naruto right now?" Neji questioned further.

"Hey, don't ask me. All I know is, Sakura likes me…" Lee said dreamily. Apparently, he still had no clue.

"That was Naruto, he did the same thing to me with TenTen." Neji said, still scanning and paying no heed to a very heart broken Lee. "Well, I should be off now. Just tell her to give me fifteen minutes to pack my things, and secure my other stuff."

"B-But…"

* * *

…Next one will be longer…


	4. Eternity

**Disclaimer: I do not have Naruto in my arsenal of 'own'!**

Is it I, or are these day so long…

* * *

Five in the late afternoon was not a great time to set out for a mission. Usually people would prefer the dead of midnight, or the brink of dawn. But those options were for the regular 'covering distance' or 'stealth' missions. Not that this one wasn't the same. No. This one was the usual cover the distance and all the sneaking around thingamajig. Yet there was also another one about. It was call 'find, kill, destroy'.

Usually he would put the killing and destroying to the other Jounins. He wasn't the type to kill, yet. He was a ninja, not a murderer. True, ninja was Japanese for assassin, but Neji always tried to overlook that fact. Stained by the guilt of death he might be, but those situations didn't give him much of a choice. It was the 'either kill, or be killed'.

The mission was one to Water Country, a truly dangerous venture. There had been a number of killings reported there, all who were Fire Country residence. Neji's mission: Find the killer, and if possible, kill him or her. If it was an unknown organization, then report back a quickly as he could. A bit of a strange request really. Usually they would do a lot of things to find out the real cause. Why so hasty?

So now after several attempts of pathetic attempts of assassination, detours, and rough grounds, Neji was now enjoying, or trying to enjoy a cup of green tea.

"Would you like some more tea, sir?" A waitress came up to him and politely asked.

"That would be greatly appreciated." Neji answered back. The waitress seemed to blush a light red as she carefully poured Neji some more tea, not spilling even a tiny drop. Neji, of course, noticed that and took no heed. He had enough of that stuff when he was little, but he could still coop with that right now.

"You are from somewhere else, aren't you?" She asked shyly. Neji was quite amused now. How did she know? Oh yeah, duh. People in Wave dressed completely different than he did. A bad move. At least his eyes were hidden behind shades, courtesy of seeing Shino wearing them every single day of his life. At least his ties to the Hyuuga clan were hidden. For now at least… "Visiting, eh?"

"Very good." Neji smirked. _Careful there, Hyuuga. Everyone's a suspect. And this girl knows more than a regular waitress is suppose to… Regular waitresses are supposed to just serve tea and, and go away._

The waitress blushed some more, clearly pleased by Neji's comment. "Why, thank you." She thanked him. More blushing. Neji was getting sick of red these days.

"Hey! Waitress! Over here!" Oh, did I mention it was the local bar? Well, that's where most people think of first when trying to collect information. (Eavesdropping really) No one would be much help in a fancy restaurant. Besides, they cost a bundle of cash, which Neji did not posses. Always travel as light as possible, just in case someone steals all you have. (Though we know that would never happen to Neji.)

The waitress shot him a remorseful look, clearly not wanting to leave him, but nonetheless, preceded to the next table. But not before whispering a warning in Neji's ear.

"I know why and what you you're doing here. Be careful, and leave here at once. Do _not_ touch your drink." She whispered quickly to him before heading off.

Something was wrong. What that waitress just uttered… Something was wrong. Neji look at his tea, which sat in front of him like any ordinary tea would do. Neji looked closer. Sleep powder. Another attempt. Tch.

He got up, and briskly proceeded to the door. Just as he had expected, two huge thugs blocked it, and the rest of them got up and drew whatever weapon they possessed. Neji knew his mistake as soon as the waitress had told him she knew he was not from around here, and he knew he had sunk deeper into that tomb of quicksand when she told him to leave at once. An ambush. How could he have been so foolish?

_Getting sloppy, Hyuuga. You should have seen this coming. Curses. Guess there's no other way out of this than to fight…_

"Where do you think you're going?" One of the bigger characters grunted.

"Just get out of my way." Neji snapped. He stole a glance at the waitress, who drew several kunais. Great, even she was in on this. To think I actually trusted her. Why is this a solo mission? Why couldn't Lee be here to protest we go a little further?

"Get him!" The leader, whom Neji just snapped and shouted at ordered, and in an instant, everyone began attacking him.

"Byakugan!" He muttered, swiftly performing all the necessary seals. Lucky for him, these fools were all muscle, no brains, and in no time, they were all lying on the ground in a heap. He wasn't really worried about them; it was just the waitress he was worried about. Apparently, her brains were still very much in tact.

"I don't know who you are, but _get out of Water Country_. We don't want anything to do with you!" She yelled at him from behind as she flung several kunais at his back. Lucky he was a Hyuuga as he easily dodged them all, except for one that hit him square in his blind angle.

_This girl's no ordinary waitress. No ordinary waitress could throw it that accurately, at me blind angle. Then again, no ordinary person could. _

"Hey! How could you-" She gasped bewildered at how Neji was able to dodge without looking, even though he did take one hit.

Neji wrenched the kunai out of his back. How could she hit him? At his blind angle, his only disadvantage. No ordinary waitress or let alone any ordinary ninja could hit like that. The only people who actually knew were Lee, Gai, TenTen, the Hyuuga clan, and the person whose name he didn't even want to think about whom he had killed.

"How could you dodge those?!" She gasped.

"Secret." Neji told her in a cocky way. He was in no mood to fight a girl, let a lone even have anything to even do with her. He didn't hit girls, even ones that were about to try and kill him. "Sorry, but I don't do girls." And he disappeared, well, genjutsu only, but that's beside the point.

The waitress looked at where he had disappeared to and shot another kunai in that direction, revealing Neji.

"Hey, you ruined my exit." He muttered, catching the kunai in his hand. Clearly he was not enjoying this. Not only did he completely blow his cover, he was meddling with a little girl. Okay, so she was around his age, but to Neji, everyone was little in someway.

"Speaking the obvious." She sneered, and shot another kunai at his heart. Neji easily dodged, only to have it come back and hit him in the back again.

"Strings?" He observed as he wrenched that one out of his blind spot again. Who was this person?

"What, you think you're the only one with actual brains in tact?" She smiled sweetly, yet in a dead dangerous way.

_I can't risk using anything that might blow my cover even more. Looks like I'll have to retreat in another way other that disappearing in a ball of smoke or some other cheap stuff… _

More blows were exchanged, Neji getting hit in his stupid blind spot every-so-often. The waitress, or whomever she was preferred to stay in one place. Well, seeing she had a dress on, she didn't exactly wanted to consider moving at rapid pastes an option.

_Man what am I doing these days? _Neji thought. He had an idea, a very, very, very stupid and Lee-ish idea. Kind of…

"Here." He said as he took her hand and put a few coins in.

"What? You and I are supposed to be trying to kill each other!" She screamed. "And you're giving me money?!"

"For the tea. And since I paid, I'll be going…" Neji told her and departed. The waitress made no move to kill him. In fact, she was gone…

_She's vaguely familiar in a way… Stop these thought and concentrate, Neji. Why am I talking to myself? _

It was night now as Neji proceeded on. He had left at five o' clock, took him nearly a day to get there, and here he was, cover completely exposed and facing a country to whom he was sure didn't want him meddling with their affairs.

_I could go back, but then I'd fail the mission, or I could go on and possibly get myself killed. What am I thinking? Why is humor puncturing its way into me? Naruto…_

-X-

"Hokage-Sama, I just don't understand why you sent Neji alone on such a dangerous and rash mission like that!" Lee exclaimed to Sakura. Naruto was taking a break on persuading her and was currently eating Ramen at the Ramen bar. "You should have at least sent me with him! Or someone else at that matter!"

"Lee, I sent him on a mission to find an old friend of mine." Sakura told him patiently.

"Hokage-Sama, you sent him on a mission to Water country to find and kill some assassin!!!" Lee exclaimed. He was over that whole Sakura thing, so he had dared to argue with her, even if she was Hokage.

"Lee, Lee, Lee, I have that mission…" She reached for one of the many scrolls by her. "Right… Oh my gosh…" She whispered the last part. Lee had seen what was wrong. The mission written on that scroll was the one that she had told him about. The one about finding an old friend of hers.

"D-Does that mean…" Lee stuttered.

"Oh! What did I do?!"


	5. 

**Disclaimer: I do not have Naruto in my arsenal of own, and that goes for all future chapters.**

I sincerely apologize for not updating quicker, but I've lost all my files, my computer went berserk, and now my laptop's berserk… And now I have oil pastels on the computer screen due to my sibling…

* * *

"Oh, what did I do?! Now his arrogant ego's going to completely destroy him!!!" Sakura wailed as she put her hands to her forehead. It was very stressful, indeed. Anyone would be if you had sent someone on a path of doom that you had no intention of letting them walk.

"Hokage-sama, is there _any_ way to contact him?" Lee asked desperately. There was a spell of silence, and that told him all he needed to know.

"No…"

-X-

Neji sighed as he starred at the blazing fire merrily flickering in front of him. He had a bad feeling about this particular mission. Something just wasn't right. Sakura was a sensible person, and this mission seemed way too rash for her personality.

It was a moonless night, perfect for assassins to be lurking in the corner. By now however, he was ready. Though completely against his will, he urged himself to dress like the folks in Water country, and since he absolutely despised the shades, well, he found a way to mask those Byakugans.

He sighed again as he got up. To be frank, he knew that camping out in a unfamiliar forest was a lot more dangerous than a hotel, even though Neji really did ever so despise those things. However, for this mission, information was vital, and civilization was a lot more populous in the city than in the woods.

_Why can't I forget that battle? It was as if something was… wrong. No, not wrong, just… weird…_

Those thought lingered on his mind as he cautiously proceeded to the town in which that took place. Somehow, it was as if a tingling sense of de ja vu (or however you spell it) was cast over him as that happened. Odd really.

_What is happening to me? What ever happened to forget what happened and move on?_

-X-

Mean while, Lee and Sakura were having a bit of trouble themselves…

"Okay, okay, okay, I've got this under control." Sakura feebly tried to convince herself of the polar opposite.

"Don't get killed, don't get killed, don't get killed, don't get killed…" Lee chanted. As if that was going to bring back his best friend, A.K.A. his greatest rival. "Oh… Isn't there _anything_ we can do?!"

"We? _I'm_ Hokage! _You_ are Lee!!!" Sakura cried flustered and stressed to no end.

"Anything?!" Lee begged.

Sakura seemed to realize that approaching this with a cool head was a lot better, so she quickly tried to settle herself down as much as possible, which, mind you, wasn't _too_ much…

"O-Okay, let's see, who do we know lives in water country, besides the ones we've already killed?" Sakura tried. "Never mind, just name all the people that we know and Neji knows."

"Why Neji?" Lee asked.

"Because… Just answer!" Sakura screamed again, losing all control. It was quite a stressful day, and well, she was missing her dinner, and her hair hadn't been washed in two days.

"Um, me, you, Naruto, Hinata, Kiba, Shino, Ino, Chouji, Shikamaru, um, Kaka-

"We don't need old people!" Sakura yelled. Though it was true that her former sensei was only about forty or so, she wasn't about to miss any chance of interrupting people in order to dish out her rage.

"Um, that's it. Sasuke up there and uh, TenTen's in I-Have-No-Idea." Lee told her.

"Okay, so we've got another Hyuuga, Chubby, Lazy, Puppy Pal, Bug Boy, Ms. Stuck-Up, and Loudmouth, gee, didn't I read this in a book before? You know, the one with the seven dwarves?!" Sakura sighed. "Someone go make tea…" Funny how you sound twelve when you're actually in your early twenties.

-X-

"Hey, don't mess with me." Neji sneered. He had just finished demolishing a pickpocket who tried to steal his stuff, and the first thing that little thief got his grubby hands on was TenTen's diary, imagine the anger.

"I-I'm s-s-sorry… JUST LET ME GO!!!" The person screamed as he scrambled up and fled. Neji was about to give him a break, but unfortunately, people don't always learn.

"Oh, you'll pay for that. You'll pay dearly." Neji whispered in a dangerous way. The little snitch has just taken off, ripping the end page of one of his most prized possessions, and was dashing off into the distance, knocking people down as he went, Neji followed.

"Just try and catch me! In case you didn't know I'm a ninja also!" He laughed.

_Idiot, just because he's a ninja doesn't specify how good he is. Even more, just because I'm wearing these stupid clothes doesn't mean I'm not a ninja either._

Neji voiced that all mentally, for he wasn't thick enough to utterly blow his already nearly blown cover. Instead, he just vowed that as soon as he caught up to him, he was going to crush him with everything he had.

Unfortunately for him, that would never come to happen, in fact, he never did stop that person, because he was already stopped by, as Neji would say 'A queer little kid'.

The thief had gotten half way down the street before he was tripped, (some ninja) leaving Neji in a very embarrassed mood and a very disturbing look, for he was the pursuer, and not some other person. (That was the hardest and most ridiculous paragraph I've ever written.)

"I didn't need your help." Neji scoffed at the little kid who was sitting on the pickpocket.

"Sure you didn't, Neji." The little kid laughed in an ever so oddly familiar way…

* * *

It's pathetic, but this is just to paste the last two chapters together… 


	6. Missing

**_IMPORTANT NOTICE!!! PLEASE READ!!!:_** This is your last chance, hasn't ANYBODY realized it yet?! Well, if anyone gets what the chapters mean, I MIGHT write a sequel. If not, I'll end it next chapter.

* * *

"Sure you didn't, Neji." The kid laughed. Neji scowled.

"Naruto… Why did you follow me?" He asked. Even after all those years, he's still had a tiny vendetta towards him. Who wouldn't if you were in such a situation at that time?

"Because Neji, you're my best friend after Sasuke, Sakura, Lee, Iruka-Sen-" Neji cut off.

"We, no, _you_ are attracting attention. Get off the person and MOVE." Neji harshly whispered to him. Naruto realized this and quickly got off. The thief scrambled away, but left the piece of paper, which Naruto got to before Neji did. "What's this? Don't for-"

"Shut up!" Neji wrenched the paper out of Naruto's hands and dragged him here and there until they were alone in a dark alley.

"Explain." Neji said as soon as they were alone and Naruto had come out of the genjutsu.

"Explain what?" Naruto asked clearly confused.

"Explain _what are you doing here_?!" Neji hissed.

"Didn't I already tell you that?" Naruto asked puzzled. Neji gave him a cold stare. "Oh, right… Uh, because I thought that you might die, or nearly die again (think chapter 198 I think. HE CAN'T DIE!) and because um, because, er…"

"Forget it. Go home Naruto." Neji sighed as he turned to go.

"Sorry, can't. Don't have one anymore." Naruto told him. Neji stopped. Half of him was filled with frustration, half of him just wanted to die, not literally though.

"Just, just…" He left.

-X-

"But Neji!" Naruto yelled after the disappearing form. Neji took absolutely no heed. "Geez, why are you so stubborn?"

Naruto decided that he should let Neji do it his way this time, and preceded on to find a restaurant. After all, who's heard of a ninja working full power on an empty stomach?

-X-

"What would you like sir?" The brunette waitress asked Naruto.

"Do you have Ramen? Boy I miss that stuff." Naruto answered almost a second after he was asked.

The waitress seemed rather taken back by this answer, but nonetheless, returned him. "Yes, what flavor would you like?"

"One of every flavor." Naruto answered, suddenly happy. Even though everything was as stressful as can be, Ramen always cheered him up

"Uh, sure, right away." The waitress answered rather surprised by Naruto's big appetite.

"Surprised?" Naruto cheerily laughed. It was a small restaurant, not fancy, but not completely broken down either. People were too busy talking to take heed of anything else, so no faces turned his way, not that he would have minded if there were.

"Um, not really. I guess that's because I knew a person who was just like you." The waitress sheepishly answered.

"Oh?" Naruto asked.

"Yeah, his name was, uh, um… Naruto I believe." The waitress answered.

"Well it's your lucky day, that's me!" Naruto laughed before he realized what he was saying. "Hey! Who are you?"

"Me?" She asked. "Uh… I'm not suppose to tell…"

"Awww… Come on! I might know you!" Naruto pestered. _And if I do, why's this kid in Water Country? Oh, wait, Water Country… I JUST BLEW MY COVER!!!! Argh… _

"I think you do, ever heard of Rock Lee, and Hyuuga Neji? I'm third to the party, literally." She sighed as she went back into the kitchen.

"Wait! Hold it!" Naruto yelled afterwards, but everything arrived soon after, delivered by some other waitress. _TenTen… That girl on Team Nine. What's she doing here?_

-X-

Neji looked at the torn end page that belonged to TenTen's diary. The stupid pickpocket had crumpled it, much to Neji's despise. He held that in his right hand while he once again scanned the mission. The paper of the scroll was transparent against the crackling fire, like lightly glowing ambers, just like it should be.

_Why is it always me? How- Why is my life so, so, miserable?_

He sighed as he read those words she had written yet again, never tired of reading them, except, for he found, he couldn't. It wasn't transparent like the other paper, it seemed to block out the light completely, unless…

"What?" Neji said to himself, blinking a few times. "_Two_ pages?"

-X-

"Wait! TenTen!!!" Naruto huffed as he chased after the older brunette. He followed her right out the back door as soon as he shoved down his Ramen.

She turned around with a puzzled expression. "What?" She asked.

"I've just realized, what are you doing here?" Naruto panted.

"I live here, and I should've asked you the same thing." TenTen told him.

"You live here? I thought, I thought…"

"I was born here. I moved to Konoha, but since this is my birthplace, I'm technically a ninja of Water Country." She sighed, tracing a circle with the tip of her sandal. (You know I'm making this up, but it's so much more interesting and easier this way.) "And like I said, what are you doing here?"

"Me? I followed a friend of yours because I over heard Sakura saying she gave him a wrong mission and now he's single handedly hunting down a group of assassin." Naruto puffed out.

"A friend? As in like Lee?" TenTen asked hopefully.

"No, not him, Neji." Naruto answered.

"Neji…"

* * *

Sorry it was ever so short. Everything goes to the last chapter. Beware, it's not happy.


	7. Ended

**Disclaimer: I do not have Naruto in my arsenal of 'own'!**

REASON WHY I PUT THIS OFF FOR SO LONG: Uh, stuff came up, but at least now it's finished, ne? The answer? Look at the first letter of each chapter. It's an acrostic poem! Sorta…

_REAL_ REASON WHY I PUT THIS OFF FOR SO LONG: Because I realized that I'm not really a big fan of writing romances, only occasionally reading them. Pathetic, ne? Though it's because I think what I'm about to write is very stupid…

* * *

"A friend? As in Lee?" TenTen asked hopefully. 

"No, not him, Neji." Naruto answered.

"Neji…" She looked at him with her big round eyes as she placed a hand on her heart. "Neji… here?" She said slowly.

"You bet! Hey! Maybe we could go find him! I saw him less than thirty minutes ago!" Naruto suggested, happy to see someone familiar despite the fact he hardly knew anything beyond her name.

TenTen blinked. Was this possible? Out of all the odds… But…

"I can't." She shifted her gaze, not looking at Naruto. "I can't." She repeated and then she turned around and quickly left, looking as if her heart and soul had shattered.

"W-wait!" Naruto called desperately. "W-Why not!"

"I can't…" And Naruto heard no more as the girl disappeared.

* * *

Neji stood in amazement as he looked between the scroll in which his mission was printed on to the entry in his former teammate's diary. He knew they were made of the same material, but one was transparent, and the other…

"Two pages." He said amazed. After all these years, everyday, he has failed to notice that. But it didn't matter now, because now he knew. Perhaps now he would find out where she truly was… The only problem was how to get that second page out. He dared not try and pry the two away in fear that TenTen had glued it or something, but he had to somehow get the pages apart. He had to… But what if it was just a blank page? What if he ruined it? So many questions, but no answer. None at all. Unless he was willing to risk everything on a gamble…

Neji sighed as he laid down page, or pages I should say. Putting out his fire with a cascade of water, he carefully slid TenTen's diary into his satchel, slung it over his back, and left for the city. Maybe someone there would know how to pry those two apart…

* * *

Naruto sighed as he realized that there was no stopping TenTen, or any other girl, save maybe Hinata when their mind was made up. Giving a last look of remorse, he turned away and started thinking about what he was going to do. He could go back to Konoha and beg Sakura to hand over the title before they carved her face into the mountain as well, hm…

Turning into the nearest ramen bar, he plotted himself down, ready for another bowl, despite the fact that he had already had plenty enough to last. Shaking his head he called for only one this time.

As he waited, the young blonde skimmed the other people that were here: two guys who seemed to be laughing at something extremely funny, and another guy, who sat in silence, not really eating anything, but staring at a piece of paper…

"Neji!" Naruto gasped as he quickly lunged his way, excited about telling him whom he just met. "Neji, I saw T-"

"Naruto, go home," Neji replied icily, not wanting to see him ever again.

"But, Neji, I-"

"_Go home_!" Neji spat, turning away and headed down the street. Just him thinking that by going there, he could avoid him. Too bad he didn't really use his brain that time.

"NEJI, I SAW TENTEN!" Naruto yelled, but the Hyuuga didn't pay any heed, too far away to listen…

* * *

"Yes, you are right, there are two pages together here," the book binder told Neji, who's eyes were wide opened and ears pricking to hear every word. "Though you're lucky, young man, it's only been glued on the sides," he continued as he separated the top right edge a little bit. "With something sharp and thin, you should be able to pry the two apart without too much trouble…"

"Thank you," Neji said curtly as he threw down a bunch of coins and sped out the door. He had been desperate, someone could have easily identified him to be from Konoha, particularly those assassins, but like I said, he was desperate, desperate for any clues at all.

As he reached a less congested part of town, Neji reached into his sack and took out a very thing knife, so thin you could even bend the metal and have it spring right back. It was really good for cutting fruit, but that wasn't the purpose then.

Slowly, ever so carefully, he lifted the blade to the raw edges of the paper. This was it, either it was blank, or it contained some very special information. He guessed the latter, seeing there wouldn't be much point to glue it if there wasn't. Yes, there it was, more ink writing. By now, the pages were split, but before he got another look at them…

A loud shriek followed by a huge bang and a brilliant display of iridescent lights snapped Neji out of his doings. Duty came before lost things in life…

* * *

"Well, if they don't want my help, they're not going to get it!" shouted Naruto as he marched back home to Konoha. "Besides, the two stubborn-heads can settle this without me! If they ever meet up…

* * *

There was a body of a man, blood freely flowing from his wounds as a waitress stood next to his lifeless form, holding two scrolls and a kunai. There was a tense air about them. There was something so familiar, yet so wrong about this scene, so, so eerie…

The waitress turned around to meet Neji's pure white and silvery ones with her own chocolaty round ones. A smile bloomed on her face at first, but then quickly disappeared in an instant as her eyes showed signs of deep longing and melancholy remorse.

"…TenTen…" Neji said softly, barely daring to breathe.

"…Neji…" she replied in almost a whimpered like voice, the one she would use when he scolded her about something that she did wrong.

"Is this… really you?" he asked, more directing it towards her in a sense of her haven broken the rules or such. She bit her bottom lips as she calmly answered him.

"Yes, it is,' she sighed sadly as she turned around to go.

"TenTen," Neji said, voice almost begging her to tell him it was wrong.

"It's because this is my job, Neji, I can't help it!" she told him, almost yelling it out. Her knuckles were white from clenching the things in her hands too tightly. Neji prayed it wasn't true, but her eyes told all.

"Why?" he demanded. "Why?"

"…You… you don't understand?" she said softly as you could almost hear the creak that her heart made breaking.

"No," Neji answered simply, stepping forward, a scowl on his lips. "This isn't like you, and unless you give me a reason, I'm not letting you go," he continued, grabbing her hand.

"Neji, have you been born into oblivion?" she screamed as traces of tears welled up in her eyes. "The only reason I _ever_ stepped foot in Fire Country was because our family was on a mission! We were gathering information, and killing was one of the ways to seek out their strengths, and once we had enough, we came back! Neji, _I'm an assassin, my family is the one you're out to kill_!"

Neji staggered back in disbelief as the words struck his brain. This couldn't be, this isn't happening, everything was wrong!

"Please go, I don't want to hurt you too, but I will if you don't," she said, raising her kunai and pointing it at Neji's heart. "Please Neji, please go and never come back… please!"

"No, I won't," Neji answered simply as he activated his Byakugan. "Duty comes first before personal matters…"

TenTen stood stunned as Neji struck a fighting stance. And here she was, thinking he had changed, thinking he had loved her, but no. No man who says 'Duty before personal matters' will stay true…

"Neji… do you love me?" TenTen asked.

Neji thought hard about this. Did he? Did he really love her, or was he just afraid of loosing her like everything else? Was it because she was the only thing that didn't really go away? Or was it because he was just so selfish and never wanted to loose anything?

"…No, I don't," he answered solemnly and truthfully.

"…I-I see…" TenTen said, sighing. "Good bye then, it was… a pleasure to have been acquainted with you…" And with that, she was gone… for good, forever…

"It was nice knowing you too, TenTen…" Neji murmured as he dug into his pack and withdrew that hidden page:'

_I hope we meet again, maybe in a field of flowers or something…

* * *

_

End Part I

* * *

Yech, I hate this, but oh well… Maybe I'll write a sequel when I get back into this stuff… 


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